West Hollywood Delays Final Approval Of Fur Ban Law

WEST HOLLYWOOD (CBS) — West Hollywood city officials have delayed final approval of a new law that would ban the sale of apparel made of fur.

The proposed ban tentatively approved on Sept. 20 will be tabled for 30 days, according to a report in the LA Times.

Animal rights attorney and co-organizer of Fur Free West Hollywood Shannon Keith told KNX it was the right thing to do.

“Animals suffer immensely for the use of fur,” said Keith. “Animals are skinned alive, they’re beaten, they’re stomped on, they’re gassed…it’s a horrible thing all in the name of vanity.”

Keith believes while the ban is long overdue, it’s not likely to do much lasting harm to the local economy.

The West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce disputed that assertion, along with the board of the “Avenues: Art, Fashion and Design District” which claims the ban will limit the city’s reputation for creative expression in the field of high fashion.

“It’s a significant loss of revenue to the city,” Keith Kaplan of the Fur Information Council said. “It’s a significant loss of image as a fashion destination to the city.”

Ellen Lavinthal, co-organizer of the Fur-Free West Hollywood campaign, applauded the vote and hopes for the campaign to catch on globally.

“This will be the first city in the nation and possibly the world — we’ve been trying to confirm that — but this will be the first city to pass [a law banning fur] that we know of,” she said.

Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Prang said council members want to be sure the law would stand up in court if challenged and have been meeting with the city attorney to work out the intricacies of the new law.

Doesn’t this West Hollywood City Council have better things to do? THe luxury here is this city wastes its time telling others what to buy and sell, and meantime, there are more important things going on in the world. What a joke this city is.